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Mary Poppins in the Park (Mary Poppins #4)

by P.L. Travers, Mary Shepard (Illustrator)

4.06 · rating details · 805 ratings · 17 reviews

From the moment Mary Poppins arrives at Number Seventeen Cherry-Tree Lane, everyday life at the Banks house is forever changed. This classic series tells the story of the world's most beloved nanny, who brings enchantment and excitement with her everywhere she goes. Featuring the charming original cover art by Mary Shepard, these new editions are sure to delight readers of...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published June 1st 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published 1952)

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Sep 27, 2011

Drew Graham rated it

· review of another edition

*sigh* Well, the taxing journey is over. This fourth novel in the P.L. Travers series is basically another volume of random, unconnected adventures of Jane and Michael Banks and their nasty, unpleasant (but *magical*!) nanny, Mary Poppins. Apparently, this book is not a continuation of the story, but a collection of six new stories that could be placed anywhere throughout the timelines of the first three books. That basically means that Mary Poppins doesn't appear at the beginning and leave ...more*sigh* Well, the taxing journey is over. This fourth novel in the P.L. Travers series is basically another volume of random, unconnected adventures of Jane and Michael Banks and their nasty, unpleasant (but *magical*!) nanny, Mary Poppins. Apparently, this book is not a continuation of the story, but a collection of six new stories that could be placed anywhere throughout the timelines of the first three books. That basically means that Mary Poppins doesn't appear at the beginning and leave again at the end, but the rest is basically the same as any of the previous books. I kind of think it would have been better to just intersperse them throughout the first three books and call it good. A trilogy would have been more than adequate. One thing that I will say for this book (and the reason it warranted an extra star in my rating) is that Mary Poppins is actually marginally less toxic. At last! I really have no problem with her being somewhat stern and strict, but there has to be some element of tenderness or likeability somewhere, or why in the world would anyone care about her (the kids she tends, OR the reader)? In this book there's the slightest hint of softness beneath her prickly exterior, a few shades of kindness and the slightest traces of the occasional smile when Jane and Michael or the younger kids say something adorable and charming, as they often do (usually, heretofore, to Mary Poppins's disdain or borderline abusive disregard). So, it was nice to read a little more positive relationship here, and it made me feel for the first time like there could possibly be some understandable feelings of attachment between the five Banks children and their bizarre nanny. Some of these chapters are more disconcerting than the others, but the magical element is still pretty interesting. There's a weird bit of business concerning a cat-inhabited star, and a story or two that manages to involve a sort of all-star assortment of the wacky cast of the entire series (which, of course, Mary Poppins blatantly and venomously denies when the kids try to remind her of it the next day).

I also read lately about the relationship between P.L. Travers and Walt Disney during production of the movie, including a bit regarding their behavior to each other at the premiere of Walt's cinematic masterpiece (which movie truly did marvelous things for this character, and for which she should have been eternally grateful), and I have to conclude that Ms. Travers really just had no clue what was going on in the world of moviemaking. Based on this as well as her writing, it's pretty clear that she also knew very little about children (which is corroborated by my research... REAlly, P.L., how could you separate those twins??). Poor, dotty woman.

I really don't think the series needed to continue this long, but for some reason Ms. Travers felt the need to publish a few more of her bizarre chapters. Mary Poppins herself is ever so slightly more tolerable in this final book of the series, but in general I'm just kind of relieved it's all over.(less)

· see review

Aug 27, 2009

Joanne rated it

The movie not being one i liked particularilly I was reluctant to read the series of Mary Poppins, but they were a great deal more enjoyable. With the nanny herself being a lot more realistic than portrayed in the film. The children embark on a series of adventures that more often than not don't actually include the formiddable Mary Poppins. The magical trips are short and sweet with a simple message or lesson in them...even some of the clichéd ones, such as " be careful what you wish for"...more

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Jul 06, 2009

Mitchy rated it

อ่านภาษาอังกฤษนี่มันสนุกน้อยกว่าภาษาไทยจริงๆ

แต่ก็ยังแฟนตาซีสมเป็นแมรี่ ปอปปินส์

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Aug 10, 2011

Christian Krüger rated it

· review of another edition

Also entweder bin ich zu alt dafür oder die Verfilmung hat zu große Erwartungen bei mir gewegt.

· see review

Nov 26, 2009

Fangirl rated it

· review of another edition

I loved the Mary Poppins books and was fascinated by her character.

· see review

Jul 06, 2009

Mary rated it

Shelves: read-before-2007

LOVED these books as a kid. I think I read them all.

· see review

Jul 31, 2011

Steve Mitchell rated it

· review of another edition

In this volume Mary Poppins is closest to as she is portrayed in the film by Julie Andrews

· see review

May 01, 2009

Tommyb added it

Shelves: 12-12-2007, 21-49

Fiction,Children's fiction

· see review

Aug 15, 2010

Sally rated it

· review of another edition

age9

· see review

Aug 29, 2009

Sherry rated it

Shelves: j-and-ya-books

Not quite a charming as the first and third books, but better than the second. The last pages wrap up the series quickly but leave the reader satisfied that the kids will have happy childhood memories forever, regardless of the fact Mary will soon leave them.

· see review

Feb 05, 2011

Beka rated it

I adore the Mary Poppins series. She is so different from how Disney portrayed her (though the scenes are similar), but yet so lovable. She is believable, yet magical, and I can't get enough of her books.

· see review

Nov 06, 2009

Elizabeth rated it

I can't remember this book very well, it's been a while since I have read it, but I know I enjoyed it extremely.

· see review

Aug 06, 2008

Tish rated it

By the fourth book, Miss Mary begins to seem just a little nicer - my kids still call her Mary Poopins, though :)

· see review

Nov 05, 2007

Susan rated it

Recommends it for: just about everyone

It wasn't as good as some of her other books :)

· see review

Jul 26, 2007

Ivy's Mom rated it

Shelves: kiddie_lit

A childhood favorite I would love to read again and again.

· see review

Sep 13, 2011

Madison marked it as to-read

Recommends it for: A fast reader.

Recommended to Madison by: The shelf LOL

It's Mary Poppins what isn't to love!

· see review

Sep 12, 2007

Partridge Public added it · review of another edition

Recommends it for: JF Tra

Shelves: juniorfiction

Travers,P.L.

· see review

Feb 11, 2012

Paula rated it

Shelves: my-first-50-books

Feb 10, 2012

Stephanie marked it as to-read

Feb 10, 2012

Helena marked it as to-read

Feb 09, 2012

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Feb 08, 2012

Jenn rated it

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Feb 07, 2012

Megan marked it as to-read

Feb 06, 2012

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About P.L. Travers

Pamela Lyndon Travers was an Australian novelist, actress and journalist, popularly remembered for her series of children's novels about mystical nanny Mary Poppins.
She was born to bank manager Travers Robert Goff and Margaret Agnes. Her father died when she was seven, and although "epileptic seizure delirium" was given as the cause of death, Travers herself "always believed t...morePamela Lyndon Travers was an Australian novelist, actress and journalist, popularly remembered for her series of children's novels about mystical nanny Mary Poppins.
She was born to bank manager Travers Robert Goff and Margaret Agnes. Her father died when she was seven, and although "epileptic seizure delirium" was given as the cause of death, Travers herself "always believed the underlying cause was sustained, heavy drinking".
Travers began to publish her poems while still a teenager and wrote for The Bulletin and Triad while also gaining a reputation as an actress. She toured Australia and New Zealand with a Shakespearean touring company before leaving for England in 1924. There she dedicated herself to writing under the pen name P. L. Travers.
In 1925 while in Ireland, Travers met the poet George William Russell who, as editor of The Irish Statesman, accepted some of her poems for publication. Through Russell, Travers met William Butler Yeats and other Irish poets who fostered her interest in and knowledge of world mythology. Later, the mystic Gurdjieff would have a great effect on her, as would also have on several other literary figures.
The 1934 publication of Mary Poppins was Travers' first literary success.Five sequels followed, as well as a collection of other novels, poetry collections and works of non-fiction.
The Disney musical adaptation was released in 1964. Primarily based on the first novel in what was then a sequence of four books, it also lifted elements from the sequel Mary Poppins Comes Back. Although Travers was an adviser to the production she disapproved of the dilution of the harsher aspects of Mary Poppins's character, felt ambivalent about the music and disliked the use of animation to such an extent that she ruled out any further adaptations of the later Mary Poppins novels. At the film's star-studded premiere, she reportedly approached Disney and told him that the animated sequence had to go. Disney responded by saying "Pamela, the ship has sailed." and walked away. Travers would never again agree to another Poppins/Disney adaptation, though Disney made several attempts to persuade her to change her mind.
So fervent was Travers' dislike of the Walt Disney adaptation and the way she felt she had been treated during the production, that well into her 90s, when she was approached by producer Cameron Mackintosh to do the stage musical, she only acquiesced upon the condition that only English born writers (and specifically no Americans) and no one from the film production were to be directly involved with the creative process of the stage musical. This specifically excluded the Sherman Brothers from writing additional songs for the production even though they were still very prolific. Original songs and other aspects from the 1964 film were allowed to be incorporated into the production however. These points were stipulated in her last will and testament.
Travers was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire in 1977. She died in London in 1996.
Although Travers never married, she adopted a boy when she was in her late 30s.

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Mary Poppins in the Park (Mary Poppins #4)

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